Due to safety concerns, Virgin Atlantic decided to do away with its gender-neutral uniform policy on Qatar-bound flights.
For flights bound elsewhere, the lax uniform policy applies.
In a statement, Virgin Atlantic said, “we’re proud our leading gender identity policy allows our people to express themselves through uniform choice.”
Staff Safety Is A Top Priority
As reported by Mirror, Virgin Atlantic said, “the safety and security of our people and customers is always our top priority.”
With this in mind, “the crew working on the flight from Birmingham Airport to the World Cup on Tuesday were required to wear uniforms based on their gender due to a risk-assessment by the carrier.”
Qatar Has A Questionable LGBT+ Record
When Qatar was selected to host the World Cup, this was met with controversy.
One of the reasons is the country’s dismal LGBT+ record.
As noted by NPR, “the government criminalizes same-sex relations, and it doesn’t allow people in Qatar to advocate for LGBTQ rights.”
Virgin Atlantic said, “as part of our policy, we complete a risk assessment on all countries we fly to, considering laws and attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and expressions of identity on a case by case basis.”
“Following a risk assessment, it was recommended the policy was not applied on today’s charter flight to ensure the safety of our people.”
Virgin Atlantic Is Progressive
In September, Travel Noire reported that the carrier allows staff to wear whatever variation of the uniforms they choose.
This isn’t the only example of the carrier’s progressive stance.
Virgin Atlantic has also relaxed their policy on visible tattoos and makeup.
Moreover, Travel Noire reported, “individuals with gender-neutral markers on their passports will also be able to use the codes with Virgin along with the title of Mx.”